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News and Event for the Staffordshire Hoard campaign from The Art Funden-gbCopyright 2015 The Art FundTue, 03 Mar 2015 18:46:13 +000060http://www.artfund.org/staffordshire_hoard/news_and_events/27/historian_michael_wood_backs_hoard_campaign_as_3700_queue_to_see_exhibition_in_stoke
Historian and broadcaster Michael Wood has pledged his support for the Staffordshire Hoard campaign. His support comes as 3,700 people have queued to see an exhibition of the Hoard at the Potteries Museum, Stoke-on-Trent. The number of visitors is a record for an opening weekend for an exhibition at Museum and marks the first time the Hoard has been on display in the country in which it was discovered.

Local people, and some from as far afield as Essex and Cornwall, queued at times for over an hour-and-a-half to see the 1,400-year-old Anglo-Saxon treasures.

Michael Wood, who has made more than 80 documentary films and presented a programme on Beowulf on BBC FOUR last year, launched the exhibition on Friday. So far the campaign to save the Hoard has raised £750,000, with over £200,000 coming from members of the public.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council museums strategic manager Keith Bloor said: "We are thrilled with the number of visitors to the exhibition. It far and away exceeds the numbers we would normally receive for a weekend at the museum. We have carried out a great deal of planning to cope with expected demand, and those plans have really paid off."

The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery is exhibiting 118 items from the hoard, including 40 artefacts that have never before been seen, such as a filigree gold horse's head, gold snakes, what is believed to be gold helmet eyebrow adornments, and detailed helmet fragments showing warriors and animals. The exhibition is open between 10am - 5pm seven days a week until Sunday 7 March.

The campaign which is being spearheaded by The Art Fund, has until 17 April to raise the £3.3million needed to save the Hoard for the West Midlands. To make a donation, please visit www.artfund.org/hoard

]]>Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:42:00 +0000http://www.artfund.org/staffordshire_hoard/news_and_events/27/historian_michael_wood_backs_hoard_campaign_as_3700_queue_to_see_exhibition_in_stokehttp://www.artfund.org/staffordshire_hoard/news_and_events/28/prince_of_wales_to_be_first_royal_to_handle_hoard_in_1400_years
This morning, the Prince of Wales became the first Royal to handle the Staffordshire Hoard in 1,400 years.

His Royal Highness handled two artefacts from the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon treasure ever found: a highly detailed crumpled gold cross and a decorative gold stud with millefiori glass thought to be of Celtic origin.

Today (19 February) Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall visited an exhibition of 118 items from the hoard at The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent. Experts believe the craftsmanship of the seventh century treasures to be of high enough quality to have belonged to ancient kings.

Their Royal Highnesses visited Stoke-on-Trent to celebrate the centenary of the federation of the city’s six towns. As well as the Potteries Museum, they also visited the Bethesda Chapel, Town Hall, Emma Bridgewater Pottery and Dudson Group.

Councillor Hazel Lyth, cabinet member for economic development and culture, said: “The Staffordshire Hoard offers a wonderful glimpse into our ancient past and we are thrilled to give Their Royal Highnesses the chance to see and handle some of these treasures.”

Prince Charles’ ancestors date back to Anglo-Saxon times, most notably through Ealhswith, the wife of Alfred the Great. She was the granddaughter of the Mercian kind Wigmund and great-granddaughter of Wiglaf, both from the 820s and 830s.

The exhibition at The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery includes 40 items of the Hoard that have never been seen before. In the first five days of the display the exhibition attracted 10,000 visitors, including people from Essex and Cornwall and visitors from as far afield as South Carolina in America, and Sweden. The exhibition will run between 10am – 5pm every day until Sunday 7 March.

The Royal visit coincides with news received from The Art Fund today that £820,000 has been raised for the campaign to date, with over £300,000 coming from public donations. A total of £3.3m needs to be raised by 17 April in order for the Hoard to be saved for the West Midlands.

]]>Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:23:00 +0000http://www.artfund.org/staffordshire_hoard/news_and_events/28/prince_of_wales_to_be_first_royal_to_handle_hoard_in_1400_yearshttp://www.artfund.org/staffordshire_hoard/news_and_events/29/
As the end of February fast approaches, the fundraising total for the Staffordshire Hoard campaign has reached £1m.

So far, the total raised towards saving the most valuable treasure found on British soil is £1,080,000. Of this, almost £500,000 comes from members of the public.

The Art Fund is spearheading the campaign to save the Staffordshire Hoard for the West Midlands. The charity is delighted to have reached this landmark figure, just seven weeks into the campaign, which began on 13 January.

The Art Fund’s Director Stephen Deuchar commented: “This is really excellent news, furthering our conviction that if the campaign continues to gather steam, we still can make the £3.3million by 17 April. However, there is much work to be done and we need as many public donations as possible – so if you’ve been inspired by the Hoard but haven’t yet donated, now is the time.”

Until Sunday 7 March, visitors to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery will be able to admire 118 items of the hoard, including 40 artefacts that have never been seen before. The exhibition at the Potteries will run between 10am – 5pm every day up to and including 7 March.

Plans are currently under way to display the items in Birmingham, once the exhibition in Stoke closes.

Working together with the Staffordshire Hoard partnership, The Art Fund is leading the campaign to raise the £3.3m. All the money must be raised by 17 April in order to save the treasure.

]]>Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:50:00 +0000http://www.artfund.org/staffordshire_hoard/news_and_events/29/http://www.artfund.org/staffordshire_hoard/news_and_events/30/staffordshire_hoard_team_wins_current_archaeology_award
Independent charity The Art Fund congratulates the Staffordshire Hoard team for winning the Current Archaeology award for ‘The Best Rescue Dig of the Year, 2010’.

Current Archaeology is Britain’s best selling archaeology magazine. The award, sponsored by Andante Travel, was given on the basis of votes cast by its readers, and was presented at the Archaeology 2010 Conference, held at the British Museum on 27 February.

The award was accepted by Dr Kevin Leahy, National Advisor, Early Medieval Metalwork, on behalf of the project.

On accepting the accolade, which was presented at the ceremony by Professor Brian Fagan of the University of California, Santa Barbara, Dr Leahy said: “This was very much a joint award, to be shared by the many people and organisations who had worked hard on the project.”

Dr Leahy also commented on how smoothly the project has gone so far, and paid tribute to the many people and organisations involved. In particular he mentioned:

· Terry Herbert, the metal detectorist who discovered the Hoard, and Fred Johnson, on whose land it was found; both of whom gave invaluable support during the excavation.

· Duncan Slarke, then the Portable Antiquities Scheme’s Finds Liaison Officer for Staffordshire and the West Midlands, to whom the hoard was first reported.

· English Heritage, and particularly Bill Klemperer, for moral and financial support.

· Staffordshire County Council, who met the costs of the on-site security and particularly Stephen Dean and Ian Wykes who monitored the excavation.

· Birmingham Archaeology, who oversaw the actual excavation, which took place despite adverse weather conditions. This was overseen by Alex Jones with the work on site being directed by Bob Burrows.

· The Inquest on the find was carried out with great efficiency by Mr Andrew Haigh, HM Coroner for Staffordshire.

· Dr Roger Bland, Head of the Department of Portable Antiquities and Treasure who has worked tirelessly on the project.

· The finds were catalogued by Dr Kevin Leahy, National Advisor, Early Medieval Metalwork, assisted by his wife, Dianne.

Dr Leahy added, ”Finally, thanks must go to the 40,000 people who queued for up to five hours to see part of the hoard during the short time it was on show in Birmingham and the tens of thousands who are queuing to see it now at the Potteries Museum. They are telling us that they care.”

The Staffordshire Hoard was first discovered by metal detectorist Terry Herbert in a field near Lichfield, Staffordshire in July 2009. Containing over 1,500 pieces, mainly gold and many inlaid with precious stones, the Hoard was valued at £3.3.m on 26 November 2009 and declared the most valuable treasure found on British soil.

Since 13 January 2010 independent charity The Art Fund has been spearheading the campaign to save the Staffordshire Hoard for the West Midlands. The campaign has until 17 April to raise the £3.3m necessary to acquire it jointly for the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. To date, the fundraising total has reached over £1m. Please donate here or by calling 0844 415 4004.

]]>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:56:00 +0000http://www.artfund.org/staffordshire_hoard/news_and_events/30/staffordshire_hoard_team_wins_current_archaeology_awardhttp://www.artfund.org/staffordshire_hoard/news_and_events/31/joint_display_signals_return_of_anglo-saxon_hoard
A further 59 items will be displayed at The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent, including a delicate filigree gold horse’s head, a gold strip with a biblical inscription and a crumpled gold plaque with ornate fish and bird heads.

The two displays will run from 13 March to 18 April and are part of a massive fundraising campaign, spearheaded by independent charity The Art Fund, to keep the Staffordshire Hoard in the West Midlands. While the exhibitions are running, 10 of the items will be shown at fundraising events in London. These will then return to be on display in Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham.

A target of £3.3m needs to be reached by 17 April deadline. Donate now

The Staffordshire Hoard attracted over 40,000 visitors to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery throughout its 19 day display in October last year. It attracted 52,500 visitors to The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent during a 23-day exhibition which ran until 7 March. The display in Stoke-on-Trent raised over £152,000 towards the fundraising total to acquire the hoard.

]]>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:21:00 +0000http://www.artfund.org/staffordshire_hoard/news_and_events/31/joint_display_signals_return_of_anglo-saxon_hoardhttp://www.artfund.org/staffordshire_hoard/news_and_events/32/anglo-saxon_treasures_spark_nine_year-olds_imagination
Emily Bairstow, currently in Prep 5 class at school in Devon, paid a visit to the Potteries Museum & Art Galley last Sunday, after sending a hand-written letter to The Art Fund last month in support of the campaign.

Deb Klemperer, Principal Collections Officer at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, took Emily around the displays on Sunday – the last day of the hugely successful exhibition – and told her some of the stories behind the Hoard.

Emily commented: "I wanted to give a donation after I had seen the lovely pictures of the treasure. I think it is really important to keep the treasure in Britain and not to let it be sold abroad because it belongs to us. I was really excited to see the treasure, especially the horse and the crosses. Also we learned about the Anglo Saxons in Prep 3 so it was really great to see things I have learned about at school."

Deb Klemperer said: 'It was lovely to meet Emily, and a real pleasure to show her the Hoard, seeing it afresh through her eyes. She is exactly the age I was when I decided that I wanted to be an archaeologist. Perhaps seeing the marvels of the Staffordshire Hoard will set her off along a similar path.”

Emily had addressed her letter to broadcaster Tony Robinson, who is one of the public figures of the campaign, and sent it to The Art Fund’s London headquarters last month. In it she had written “I have given my dad £10 from my money box to save the treasure for England… I hope to see the treasure some day.”

The Art Fund organised the trip in response to her wish, and also forwarded a copy of the note to Tony Robinson, who wrote her a personal reply.

Independent charity The Art Fund is spearheading the campaign to save the Staffordshire Hoard for the West Midlands, so that other children like Emily can also be inspired by its beauty and fascinating history.

Since it opened on 12 February, the exhibition in Stoke has exceeded all expectations. A total of 52,385 people came to see the displays, many queuing for hours to catch a glimpse at the ancient artefacts unearthed from West Midlands soil last summer.

On 13 March, many of the objects will transfer to Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, offering locals who missed the displays in November another opportunity to see the Hoard.

]]>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:38:00 +0000http://www.artfund.org/staffordshire_hoard/news_and_events/32/anglo-saxon_treasures_spark_nine_year-olds_imaginationhttp://www.artfund.org/staffordshire_hoard/news_and_events/33/staffordshire_hoard_saved_for_the_nation
The Art Fund is delighted to announce that the Staffordshire Hoard, the largest archaeological Anglo-Saxon find ever unearthed, has been saved for the nation. The news comes after the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF), the government's fund of last resort for heritage items at risk, pledged £1,285,000, bringing the campaign to the £3.3m target, just over three weeks ahead of schedule.

Thanks to the support of the public, trusts and foundations, and the generous £1,285,000 NHMF grant, the awe-inspiring find has now been safely secured for Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent. On 13 January 2010 The Art Fund launched the campaign to save the Staffordshire Hoard on behalf of both acquiring museums with a £300,000 grant and with generous pledges of £100,000 each from Birmingham and Stoke City Councils.

Since the launch of the campaign, over £900,000 has been raised through public donations; £640,000 of that came from Art Fund members and supporters. Over 100,000 people have visited the Staffordshire Hoard displays in Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and the British Museum. Donations from members of the public have ranged from £1 to £100,000, and have come in from as far afield as the USA and Japan. In addition to public support, the campaign has received substantial donations from trusts and foundations.

Stephen Deuchar, Director of The Art Fund, said: "We have been absolutely bowled over by the enthusiasm and fascination the Staffordshire Hoard has sparked amongst the British public, as well as visitors from abroad. It is wonderful news that the NHMF has enabled the target of £3.3m to be reached ahead of the deadline, and I hope that this will give the West Midlands a head-start with the next stage in fundraising for the conservation, research and display of the treasure."

Dame Jenny Abramsky, Chair of NHMF, said: "We’re delighted to be able to announce this news today. The Staffordshire Hoard is an extraordinary heritage treasure. It is exactly the sort of thing the National Heritage Memorial Fund was set up to save, stepping in as the ‘fund of last resort’ when our national heritage is at risk, as a fitting memorial to those who have given their lives in the service of our nation. We’re delighted, in our 30th anniversary year, to be able to make sure it stays just where it belongs, providing rare insights into one of the more mysterious periods of our history."

Eminent historian and broadcaster Dr David Starkey helped launch the campaign on 13 January, giving an illuminating speech on the value of the Hoard and coining the term "gangland bling" to describe its dazzling beauty and links to bloody warfare.

Today David Starkey commented: "This is wonderful news for historians worldwide – the Staffordshire Hoard provides us with vital clues to our ancient past, and now we can set about decoding them. We’re delighted that The Art Fund, the NHMF, all other funding bodies and the generous public have helped us save these breathtaking treasures for posterity. It’s now vital that we think ahead towards a future conservation of the Hoard, and displays that will match the excitement of the find."

However, The Art Fund emphasised today that there is still more work to be done. A further £1.7m must be found so that the Hoard can be properly conserved, studied and displayed.

All donations received after Wednesday will be directed to the £1.7m campaign for conservation and research. The public can continue to donate to the wider campaign via www.artfund.org/hoard.

Pledges can also be made by telephone on 0844 415 4004. Cheques can be sent to The Art Fund, Freepost LON 17186, PO BOX 2003, Kirkcaldy, KY2 6BR.

On 17 May 2010, Hoard expert Dr Kevin Leahy will give a talk on the importance of the Staffordshire Hoard. The talk will take place in Oldcotes, Worksop.

Dr Leahy is the National Adviser for the Portable Antiquities Scheme and one of the main archaeologists involved in cataloguing and analysing this rare treasure. Its complex artistic design makes the Hoard one of the greatest archaeological treasures unearthed on UK soil since the Sutton Hoo discovery.

]]>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:19:00 +0000http://www.artfund.org/staffordshire_hoard/news_and_events/35/the_new_english_anglo-saxon_finds_an_expert_talkhttp://www.artfund.org/staffordshire_hoard/news_and_events/36/17_million_needed_to_support_the_hoards_future_conservation_and_display
We won the battle to save the Hoard for the West Midlands – and today the Art Fund is delighted to announce that £270,000 has already been raised towards the wider fundraising campaign for £1.7 million needed to support its future conservation and display.

On 1 April, Staffordshire County Council and Tamworth Borough Council and announced they would join forces and give £100,000 in total towards the £1.7m required, with Staffordshire donating over £80,000 and Tamworth £20,000. A further £80,000 has come in from public donations via the Art Fund’s website and a further £60,000 has come from trusts and foundations.

Philip Atkins, Leader of Staffordshire County Council, said that the local fundraising endeavour “shows the commitment Staffordshire Authorities have to bringing the Staffordshire Hoard back to the region. “ He described the campaign as “a long term investment in the county's heritage and in our future” and detailed how the funds were raised: "County Councillors have donated nearly £40,000 from their Local Community Fund, while money is still coming in from a number of fund-raising events. This included a sell-out talk by the county council's archaeological team at the Stafford Gatehouse Theatre that was attended by over 400 people."

The excitement of the Hoard’s discovery – and what it means to the West Midlands – is highlighted in a brand new National Geographic documentary entitled Saxon Gold: Finding the Hoard. Billed as the first programme to uncover “the secret location where the multi-million pound Staffordshire Hoard was unearthed”, it premiered on the National Geographic channel on Sunday 28 March and airs on Channel 4 on 12 April. The Hoard’s official burial site had to be kept strictly under wraps until the emission date, as archaeologists scoured every inch of earth on the site to ensure that no more treasures lay hidden. The programme will be screened at various times on the National Geographic channel until the end of the month. For more information visit here.

Working together, local councils in the West Midlands plan to spend the £1.7m to show off the splendour and mystery of the Hoard and its relevance to the region, which was known as Mercia in Anglo-Saxon times. Plans include the creation of a “Mercian Trail” which would highlight the fascinating history of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom. The Hoard was unearthed near to Lichfield, a town which already contains two other Anglo-Saxon treasures: the illuminated St Chad Gospels, and a stone angel. The £1.7m will also facilitate the future loan of items from the Hoard to key historic venues such as Tamworth Castle and Lichfield Cathedral – both important Mercian sites.

]]>Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:43:00 +0000http://www.artfund.org/staffordshire_hoard/news_and_events/36/17_million_needed_to_support_the_hoards_future_conservation_and_displayhttp://www.artfund.org/staffordshire_hoard/news_and_events/39/celebrities_gather_to_celebrate_staffordshire_hoard_acquisition
On Tuesday 1 June, celebrities including Dame Judi Dench, Michael Palin, David Starkey and Tristram Hunt MP gathered at the British Museum for an Art Fund ‘thank you’ event for major supporters of the Staffordshire Hoard campaign.

The Art Fund hosted the event to thank major donors and high profile figures that supported the £3.3m appeal to save the most valuable Anglo-Saxon treasures ever found on UK soil.

After a welcome address from the Art Fund’s director Stephen Deuchar, Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture, spoke to guests about the Hoard’s significance for UK heritage. Guests were then led to a special private view of key pieces from the Hoard, which had been put on temporary display especially for the event. Roger Bland, Head of the Department of Portable Antiquities & Treasure at the British Museum, explained the story of the find. Senior figures from both Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent were also present to answer guests’ questions about the items on display.

Discovered last summer in a field near Lichfield, the Staffordshire Hoard is the most valuable Anglo-Saxon treasure ever unearthed on UK soil and is made up of over 1,500 pieces of gold and silver, many encrusted with gems and intricately decorated.

Kick-started with a £300,000 Art Fund grant, the appeal to save the Hoard was successfully completed on 23 March 2010 with help from a major grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund. The Hoard is now jointly owned by Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum.